Let Lips Do What Hands Do
by ZivaDavid-LesNinja-FemmeLove
Summary: Jodi Lerner has this ability about her to create anything out of completely nothing. She also finds a way to make everything into art. This was something that Bette Porter happened to love about the deaf artist, more than anything. What she does not truly realize though is that she is Jodi's muse. In turn, Bette is inspired to be a better person not just for herself but for Jodi.
1. My Muse

**Let Lips Do What Hands Do **

**By: Sammy Richardson**

A Jodi/Bette *Jodette* fan fiction; The L Word

Rated: M for Mature Content; Language and Sexual Explicitness

**Chapter 1: My Muse**

Jodi Lerner, possessing a mastery in arts, was in her work studio that sunny and calm California evening. She sat on an impromptu bench as she looked at hunks of metal. She was trying to devise a way of going about making it all into her latest sculpture her newest masterpiece. The last one she had worked on had taken her over two months, and she was proud of it, too. It was so elaborate and well thought out. However, now it was time to start anew.

Chewing on her bottom lip a bit, she tilted her head in thought. Long and abundant strands of blonde curls fell along with her head as ideas formed within her mind. What to do? What to do? She did not see the door being opened and shut.

She was so intensely focused on the hunks of metal, which to the average person would mean nothing. And yet, when Jodi looked at these metallic heaps, she saw nothing but limitless possibilities and endless potential. She felt as though what it could make had the ability to change the world.

It was not until she smelled the invigorating aroma of Bette's signature perfume that she noticed someone was in the room. Snapping out of her inner head space, she turned her head to see the magnificent brunette, her hair in luxurious curls and her skin illuminated by the setting sun of which the west coast possessed.

"Hello Bette!" She signed emphatically. "How are you? I did not expect to see you tonight!"

She stood up from the bench she was perched on and smiled oh so brightly, her teeth shining as she did so. It seemed that the more she saw the dean of the University of California, the more happy and contented she would become. Bette smiled as she looked into the crystal blue eyes that Jodi was so blessed with. It was as if every time she looked in them, she became more and more entranced, as if every encounter she drew her further and further into her. Bette was more than happy to take note of the fact that she was doing what she absolutely loved, creating art, making it into whatever she so desired. It was a passion that never seemed to die.

"I had to work a little later than I had planned." She signed to her deaf lover in explanation. "I assumed you were here late as well. If I'm bothering you in your creative process, I can go."

She really did not wish to be bothersome, the cause of her colleague and lover's loss of focus, and train of thought. Bette understood, more so than most, about how artists work and to be the cause of someone, especially Jodi, losing their idea or concept… it would kill her inside. Disturbing her was one of the furthest things from her mind. Jodi instantly shook her head, rejecting the idea of Bette leaving right then and there. She went over to Bette and gently touched her cheek, but only for a moment.

"No, please stay." The professor of the arts spoke as she signed, begging the Dean. "I was just trying to come up with something to make, but I am having a bit of trouble with it. Perhaps you can be my muse."

Talking for Jodi was an act which seldom occurred most of the time, but for some reason with Bette she liked to speak. Finding her voice, per say. She justified it as just trying to help Bette understand American Sign Language better, but she knew it was because of the fact that she cared for her oh so deeply.

"You usually are." She confessed in a rather sheepish manner, letting out a nervous chuckle afterward.

Bette could not help but to allow her radiant and toothy smile to paint her face like renaissance artists in Rome, making life-altering artwork on canvases. It was that one smile that let Jodi know just how content she had truly made her.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to get in the way." Bette replied, her smile softening as she did so when Jodi dismissed her thought of leaving once more.

The brunette then turned away from her colleague, still not one hundred percent used to having to make special accommodations when it came to how she stood whilst speaking with the artist.

"It's just sometimes with you, I never know if I'm interrupting something or if you like my company… I do not want to impede on your work, being a pest is not my intention." Bette trailed off, pacing around the room a bit and waving her hands as she talked; she still did not pay attention to the fact that Jodi could not hear her.

Jodi tried her hardest to make out what she was saying. Had she been signing? Was that why she was moving her hands almost sporadically? Her brows furrowed rather intensely upon realizing that her hands were not in fact making signs at all, but instead moved randomly, making no sense whatsoever. With that, Jodi quickly rushed over to Bette and chuckled softly before looking at her, having them face each other.

"Sorry, did you say something? Please, Bette, tell me what it is you said." Jodi pleaded in American Sign Language, her hands moving swiftly and softly all at the same time.

A gentle smile remained on her face as she reached over and tenderly cupped her face within her skillful and precious, all too vital hands. Bette let out a breath of a laugh before moving her face so that she could kiss Jodi's right hand.

"I was rambling on about the possibility of my being here distracting you; I wouldn't want that to happen. You work is very important," Bette signed in returned, allowing Jodi to know only part of what she had said while pacing.

Smiling as she looked into Jodi's eyes yet again, those eyes of which she would never lose the drive to just gaze into for hours. Her attraction to Jodi border-lined on pathetic; how could she feel so strongly for someone like this, like she once had with Tina, oh so long ago. But that felt like a century ago, and she was younger then. So, what made now even more intense? And it had been that, too. So much more intense…

"What is it you are working on?" Bette asked, quickly changing the subject in an attempt to distract herself from her colleague's beauty.

Jodi just shook her head softly, reassuringly as she took a hold of Bette's hands.

"So are you, Bette. You are important, more important than that, actually. And you have no idea just how much you mean to me when it comes to my work." She signed, gesturing towards the metal heap a few feet away, the same heap she had stared at, as if trying to mentally picture what it could be, what it truly was. "And I am still trying to come up with an idea, my dear Bette. You may be able to help me with that."

She caressed Bette's hands with her thumbs gently and brought them to her lips, kissing them gingerly.

"Sit with me, please." She spoke, her voice ringing out and yet she would never know what it sounded like. "You can help me work wonders, you know?"

"You make me out to be some sort of muse, which I know I am not." Bette signed with a bit of a scoff.

She did not really believe that Jodi could actually draw inspiration from her, though she could not keep that smile on her face from fading away when she took a seat beside her colleague and newfound lover. Looking upon the older sculpture she had been creating for quite some time, Bette truly had no idea of in what way she could possibly be of any help towards the artist savant.

"I procure art; I am no artist… how exactly am I supposed to help?" Bette asked, looking into Jodi's eyes as she signed.

Jodi huffed a breath; feeling slightly exasperated by Bette but still loved her for it, and shook her head. She found Bette to be adorable and slightly stubborn; okay she was really stubborn… at least, at times. The young and rebellious artist turned on the impromptu bench and cupped the procurer of art's face in her hands.

"Have you not been listening to me?" Jodi asked, inching herself closer to Bette. "No, you're not _a _muse. You are _my _muse!"

Jodi leaded in slowly and figured it better to let her lips do what hands do, and allowed them to do the talking for a change. The kiss continued for several seconds before she pulled away and signed to Bette.

"You need only inspire me, Bette." She replied, leaning in again before her for the second time.

She could feel Bette pulling away and she smiled to her, biting her bottom lip slightly as she did so.

"Mm, you have a point there." Bette chuckled, using her hands to convey her words before cupping Jodi's face within her hands.

Returning her kiss for a moment, she smiled brightly upon pulling away again. There was a question burning away at her mind.

"How may I inspire you, then?" The brunette asked, truly unsure of what she could do to help her colleague with her work.

Jodi, watching Bette's hands carefully as she signed, simply shook her head, for she need not do anything, not really, and Jodi told Bette this.

"You don't _have _to do anything… except, that is, for be here. I find myself utterly inspired when I am in your presence. You light up my world, Bette, and you don't even try, nor do you even know you do it. You just do it, because that a part of your charm. I love how you have been such an influence on my life, and you are so blissfully unaware." Jodi said, her hands signing while her lips spoke. "Be here, with me… that is all you have to do."

"Well then…" Bette said in a sexually snarky manner as she began to expertly kick off her heels, smiling. "Here is where I will stay, with you."


	2. Take Me Home

**Chapter Two: Take Me Home **

After a while of watching Jodi work on her art, Bette had become slightly tired. Her job proved to be rather stressful, it in and of itself causing fatigue. Sitting in one place and not moving only added onto the tiredness. Laying herself down on the uncomfortable piece of art she and Jodi had been sitting on before, using her suit jacket as a pillow whilst she continued to watch her lover work her magic upon the metal piece. Bette found that watching her do this seemed to soothe her, calming her down from her day of dealing with disobedient students and a very high-strung and eccentric boss. She smiled softly when she noticed Jodi turn to look at her, allowing all of her thoughts to drift from her mind as their eyes locked.

It was much too early in the creative process to tell, however, Jodi knew exactly what it was she was sculpting. She did not care if it seemed odd, or creepy. Hell, she once had a student sculpt a life size statue of her naked, so this seemed mild in comparison. She thought it would be a beautiful semblance of the truthfulness of her own words from earlier. Jodi turned on her heels to look to her muse, biting her bottom lip.

"You are so gorgeous! I cannot stand it! I love you!" She signed in an outgoing and emphatic manner, clearly happy and full of love.

She went over to Bette and crouched down before kissing her lips deeply, with much passion.

"Someone is tired." She observed with her hands before placing a sheepish kiss on Bette's nose.

Bette signed back her response, closing her eyes afterwards before feeling a presence near her. Opening her eyes to see Jodi crouched down, she smiled brightly. "Mm-hmm, a little."

Reaching out towards the deaf artist, Bette pulled Jodi in for a quick kiss on the lips before using her hands to speak once more. In truth, she absolutely loved knowing sign language. It made her so happy to be able to speak with Jodi so flawlessly. And Jodi loved it too.

"I just need a little coffee, that's all. It is too late for me to sleep now. I have a meeting at four in the morning." She explained to the stubborn blonde, her voice resonating throughout the studio.

Jodi pouted a bit and tilted her head in thought. She wished for Bette to get some rest. She deserved to rest, this is what Jodi honestly believed.

"Hmm, let me think here…" She signed, scratching her chin playfully in thought. "How about you sleep and I will wake you up at about three thirty?"

A majority of her being wished immensely for Bette to agree to this idea. She needed to sleep, did she not?

"You aren't going to take no for an answer, are you?" Bette asked, chuckling softly, not wishing to sleep within this moment.

In truth, she wanted to stay awake and watch Jodi work. She desired to skip her meeting entirely and go home with her lover after she was finished for the night, though that want did not seem plausible. Giving in wasn't an option for one Jodi Lerner, and Bette knew as much. Watching as she did not sign anything, she did something she was most certainly not accustomed to, something that Jodi got her to do constantly. She caved.

"Three-thirty. No later…" The brunette signed adamantly, leaning up and kissing Jodi before allowing herself to drift off into a deep slumber.

Jodi watched Bette as she did exactly what she had wanted to. A brimming smile plastered across her face.

"I win again!" She signed to herself triumphantly.

She was working until about 3:27 when she decided to call it in for a while. Unzipping her green coverall jumpsuit a bit, she walked over to Bette and crouched down to her a second time. Soothingly, she began to run her fingers through her hair, becoming lost in the rhythm of her chest, shoulder, and back moving with each breath she took. That symbiosis was almost mesmerizing in its nature. Jodi would never be able to explain it, nor fully understand it.

"Bette," Jodi whispered after a few more moments, her voice melodious as it vibrated out throughout the room and Bette's ear. "Bette, my muse, wake up."

Bette opened her eyes quickly, jumping slightly upon being woken up. Having not received enough rest within the past few days. Her life had been made increasingly hectic due to Tina and her drama over Angelica. She, quite frankly, was getting tired of the shared custody of her and was trying to get things settled without them being blown up in her face, but Tina was making it impossible. She smiled upon seeing Jodi looking at her.

"Mmm, good morning." Bette signed sleepily before sitting up. "Will you still be here after my meeting?"

She had only asked for she was unsure of what her lover's plans were for the day. Desperately she wished to spend the rest of the day with Jodi. Somehow Jodi seemed to make life so much better, easier for her. She smiled once more before using her hands to speak again.

"I had hoped we would be able to spend the day together." Bette confessed to her colleague, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.

Jodi smiled brightly and nodded happily. She felt this feeling within her heart she could not quite describe. It was like happiness amplified.

"Of course!" She signed enthusiastically, flashing her bright teeth as she smiled.

Three hours had passed after her strenuous and draining meeting over which students got what funding, and Bette was able to tear herself away from work. Sometimes, she truly did hate it, but she loved it as well. Not only did she get to see all of these young artists evolve and explore their full potential, without this job she never would have met Jodi Lerner. For that, she felt indebted to the University of California, and of course Phyllis Kroll. Her heels clicked against the floor as she walked into Jodi's studio, smiling when she came face to face with her lover.

"I am finally done for the day! If they need me, James can handle it." Bette signed emphatically before pulling Jodi into a heated kiss.

The sight of her lover within barely zipped coveralls and a tank top seemingly drove Bette crazy, a sense of madness more than welcomed. Sealing the kiss, Bette smiled to the blonde, unable to help herself as she stroked her cheeks before releasing her.

"How is the piece coming?"

Breathing heavily after the kiss, an exuberant smile plastered across Jodi's face.

"Oh, beautifully, Bette! Thanks to you!" Jodi exclaimed as she signed vehemently with her hands.

She then wrapped herself around her muse in quite possibly the biggest hug she had ever given her. Bette chuckled at the sudden display of affection, not quite sure as to why her lover was so grateful. She herself had done nothing but watched her work, so what had made her role so significant as to deserve such an emphatic hug. Pulling away from the embrace reluctantly, Bette could not help but to smile as she looked into Jodi's gorgeous blue eyes. They were like a semblance of the sea, a beautiful, crisp, and almost completely blue. They were the most mesmerizing orbs she had ever seen.

"Still working?" Bette asked, reaching out and caressing Jodi's cheek after signing.

"Oh, yes, it may take a while…because of all the detail… I need to cut a lot of this metal down." She explains vocally and with her hands, showing her how small she needed some of the pieces before gesturing towards the chunks of metal.

She let out a long sigh, rolling her eyes a bit as she did so. Smiling, she took hold of Bette's hands.

"But, it is worth it. It truly is." She spoke before taking her over to the piece, what she had finished of it anyway.

Jodi could not help but to be curious as to if Bette could decipher what it was yet. She then saw quite a bit of irony in that.

"It's beautiful, though I am not quite sure as to what it is just yet." Bette said as she signed, smiling as she did so.

Allowing herself to be leant up against the scaffold as she watched Jodi move around her art, loving the way she seemed to be so blissfully happy within this moment.

"You are just so very talented…" Bette observed, in complete awe of what her lover could do with what seemed like scrap metal and her imagination.

Jodi set down her metal pieces of which she was grasping onto mindlessly before turning to Bette, a naughty smirk on her face. She took a moment to eye her lover with her own orbs of the most radiant sky blue.

"Oh, sweetie, if you think the art is good, you should wait around for the after show, if you know what I mean." Jodi jokingly signed with a wink, feeling rather cheeky in that moment.

She walked towards Bette a bit and looked up at her with a devilish grin and her hands on her hips, briefly.

"We all know just how talented I can be in the department, now don't we?" She added, narrowing her eyes at Bette as she tried to resist laughing.

"You are teasing…" Bette warned as she signed in reply, biting her bottom lip afterwards in an attempt to not chuckle at her lover's words.

Bette then took it upon herself to pull Jodi into her, pressing their lips together for a moment. Moaning into the kiss before sealing it, she then backed away before taking a seat. Ready to watch her lover work her magic with the metal piece.

"Don't mind me…" Bette signed, now laughing uncontrollably as she looked at her lover's facial expression.

Jodi, meanwhile, could not help but to cock her head to the side as if to say "come on, now" and chuckled lightheartedly.

"Bette, I will mind you all I want to. I love you! I cannot get enough of you!" She signed somewhat quickly before repeating the signs for I love you.

She sauntered back over to her project and looked over at Bette's eyes, smiling softly before turning back to the sculpture. She began cutting a thin and long piece of metal into one inch pieces, making sure to place them aside securely so as to not make a mess of them or lose any of them. Bette watched her lover work, picking at her nail polish every few moments before returning her gaze to the work of art before her. Finding it utterly amazing how her lover could create such elaborate art pieces with such ease. Something about it just mystified her on many different levels of complexity.

After about half an hour later, the artist was smeared in oil and various other materials, somewhat frustrated by herself and the saw she had been using to splice the metallic pieces. Letting out a groan, she rubbed her nose and forehead, unknowingly getting a little bit of that same grease on her face. Jodi looked over to Bette and sighed almost defeatedly.

"This is not working." Jodi said with a bit of a pout, signing it too. "I need a break."

She hated working on pieces for too long at a time sometimes. It often induced frustration, which she did not enjoy, especially around Bette. She never wanted Bette to see her angry like that, and at times it got bad. Jodi shuttered as she remembered the fight she got into with Amy, in front of Bette. She felt like crying afterwards, she had been so angry. No one ever said that about her and the dean before and it angered her to such a degree that it worried herself. Bette could not help but to purse her lips a bit. She too hated it when Jodi got upset with her work.

"Mm-hmm, come here…" Bette signed, standing to her feet.

She watched as Jodi made her way over to her and she too closed the gap between them. The University of California Dean of the Arts the wrapped her arms around Jodi before placing a kiss upon her lips tenderly. Pulling away slowly, Bette smiled.

"Maybe you need a little…quality time with your muse? A break could not hurt, could it?" Bette added, smirking slightly before pulling a very frustrated Jodi into her.

Jodi rested her head on Bette and nodded against her, loving how kind and supportive she was during her creative frustration phases in which she would find herself in. She did not like herself when she was in these places, but Bette seemed to help make it so much better.

"No, it wouldn't hurt." She murmured, seeming to relax instantaneously as she felt Bette's hands go to her back. "Bette… I love you."

Jodi herself could not believe how much raw truth and emotion had been behind her words. Bette smiled, holding her lover closely before pulling back for a moment, lifting up Jodi's chin with her right hand.

"I love you, too, so much." Bette spoke softly, looking into her lover's eyes as she did so before bringing their lips together in a tender kiss. Jodi kissed her back, unable to keep herself from doing so. After a while, however, she reluctantly ceased the kiss and pulled back, getting herself forever lost in those intoxicating brown eyes yet again.

"I am glad…we are much farther, much better…than we used to be." She pointed out, much more than happy now that they were official and telling each other I love you more and more these days. "Shall we go to your place? Or, perhaps maybe mine?"

"I do love you…" Bette added before placing a kiss upon Jodi's cheek. "Mm, my place?"

Bette only questioned this for in truth she found Jodi's home to be inviting yet not entirely safe to walk around barefoot. With the art she tended to make at home as well as at the university, safety hazards surrounded Jodi. How she had not managed to hurt herself, Bette could not fathom. Bette smiled, looking into Jodi's eyes as she awaited an answer. Jodi let out a breath of a laugh as she shook her head, rolling her eyes. She knew why she had chosen her own home over hers. The young artist draped her arms around Bette's neck and chuckled.

"One day I am going to have to drag you over to my place." She said verbally, seeming rather adamant in her stating this. "I can carry you if I have to."

She poked her teasingly in the stomach before humming contently and nuzzling into her. Bette chuckled unable to help herself as she looked into Jodi's eyes.

"Would you…prefer you home over mine?" Bette asked, truly not wishing to seem as uptight as she had been when they first started their relationship.

She had not liked how rigid and cold she had been during that time, wanting so much to more open and fee with things such as this. She shuddered inwardly at the memory of the dinner party she had thrown for Jodi and the fight they had gotten into. Bette was trying so hard to break the terrible habit of being a control freak. Jodi had been right about her, then, too. And she never wanted to be that way again. She even let Jodi interpret for her when she went to meet the blonde artist's friends. Bette snapped out of her memories when she noticed Jodi gently shaking her head and smiled.

"Sweetheart, no, it is alright. Please, don't get this confused. I love your home, more than my own, in fact." Jodi said softly, signing it too.

She noticed the look of worry and guilt splashing across her face like graffiti on the walls of a New York inner city. Getting an abrupt idea, Jodi pushed herself up just a bit before rubbing her nose against Bette's. Pulling back, she smiled reassuringly.

"Did you just get grease all over me?" Bette asked in a playfully angry tone, chucking softly as she signed.

She found her lover's antics to not only be a source of comic relief, but quite soothing as well.

"Maybe…" She signed, snickering menacingly as she did so.

Bette shook her head and grabbed a clean towel from a stack a few feet away, attempting to rid herself of the smudge. Jodi rolled her eyes as she saw this. That woman really did not like being dirty.

"When would you like to leave?" She asked as she put the towel down, unsure if Jodi was finished for the day or just wished to have a short break.

Jodi giggled when she noticed she did not get all of the grease and pulled on her coverall sleeve before reaching up to gently wipe away the remaining smudge. A soft smile came to her face, unable to help it.

"Now, please…if we can." She added with her hands, shrugging her coveralls back onto her shoulders, zipping it up before leaning up and kissing Bette tenderly, cupping her by the back of her neck as she did so.

Bette returned Jodi's kiss, smiling after sealing it.

"Of course we can go now. Shall we?" Bette replied, caressing Jodi's cheek.

After gaining the answer that she oh so desired, Bette led Jodi out of her art studio and to her car.

**A/N: **I just had to throw this little Author's Note in here telling any of you who may be reading this, that I thank you so much for still having faith in my work, though I have not been able to write as much I as used to in the past. I am making it appoint to get back into that, and I do not care any longer. I cannot allow this sort of behavior to continue on. I must keep on writing, no matter what or who or why… So, do not worry I am setting aside time to write, no matter the goings on. Also, I have so many ideas for this story in its near and distant future. So many ideas! And it has me rather excited so, hang in there, please. Writing means so much to me, and the fact that I just stopped kills me. Rest assured, I will try to pump out a chapter every day if I can. I love you all, my devotees! Thank you! Hugs and Kisses.


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